Socktoberfest!!

You thought I'd forget again this year, didn't you? Well, I didn't!

I started celebrating Socktoberfest by packaging up the socks I have ready for Wool-Aid. I'll be shipping them out tomorrow. They issued a challenge in September to get things wrapped up and sent in so they could fill up their fall shipments. Here are the socks I had ready:

Oh yes, that's a new one on the bottom. I just finished them up last week.

I blocked them on my sock blockers but they're definitely bigger than the socks I wear.

I used a 3x2 rib to "change things up" from the 2x2 rib I did on the other Wool-Aid socks. Yes that's a little facetious, in case that wasn't obvious.

I put in a very small gusset and did a short row heel.

I ended with a cuff of 1x1 ribbing and my usual sewn Kitchener bind off. What can I say? I still love it.

Now I'm looking around the stash for more worsted wool for the next pair. (I may have to ravel another sweater to get it.)

In the meantime, I have a new pair of socks going that I will be gifting to someone in the family. No pictures yet but I will tell you that they are a certain special shade of blue...

Fancy Footwork

Look what the...elephant...dragged in:

My Socktoberfest socks were completed a few days ago. Here they are still damp from blocking:

We had a little party to celebrate and invited all the elephants to come:

(Honestly, these are but a very few of my elephants.)

I am relieved that my first pair of colourwork socks fit.

All that stranded colourwork makes the sock warmer, but keeps them from being very stretchy. That doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.

The soles are as fancy as the top:

which is another thing I like about them. Many colourwork socks have uninteresting stripes or other boring patterns on the bottom, and where is the fun in that? (It's missing, that's where it is.)

I followed the pattern exactly.

I know there were some of you who thought I couldn't, but I did. :)

I probably won't do it again, but it was a little liberating not to have to make any decisions.

The partridge heel is nice. It will likely make appearances in future socks. (Whether the pattern calls for it or not.)

The toe was a standard decrease. The fit is fine (although the toe is a little pointy) but I really don't like the strong line that develops on each side. My toes in the future will be made with short rows.

The only other thing I would change on the socks is the length. These are far shorter than what I like to wear, but I knew that going in. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier!

They definitely get "two trunks up"!

Project Stats
Started: 1 Oct '13
Finished: 28 Oct '13
Pattern: Water for the Elephants by Rose Hiver
Materials: Pagewood Farm Chugiak Hand Dyed Sock Yarn in Really Red (~1/2 skein) ($18) and Raveled wool/angora from an MJ Carroll sweater (~20 g) (<$5)